


Sword and Shield

by melodium



Series: And If ? [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Gen, Major character death - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21766924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodium/pseuds/melodium
Summary: It was not in Callum’s nature to fight. Even though he was, by his mother’s marriage, a prince, the fact still stood that Callum was not a fighter. He had simply never inherited his mother’s or aunt’s ability to take charge and fight back. However, the instinct was in his nature, something he would come to know all too well.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Series: And If ? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568761
Comments: 5
Kudos: 45





	Sword and Shield

In the years after Viren’s fall, the world sounded much quieter than it had been before. In some ways, in the laughs children let out or the pure sounds of nature, it was louder. However, the river of lava that once separated Xadia and the human kingdoms no longer roared, the clang of iron on itself as sword met shield was no longer heard---unless, of course, it was for sparring---and the screams of rage and agony that rang out across the battlefield that fateful day were now just ghostly echoes in the wind.

The world seemed at peace for about five good years. Until Claudia’s scream broke it all.

\---

Enraged with everyone, she betrayed Aaravos and trapped him in his mirror once more, scattering its pieces to the wind. She tracked down Callum and Rayla, as she knew where the Prince and Princess of Katolis would be working as ambassadors between the kingdoms and Xadia. She had nothing against Ezran, of course, but she knew he would be an obstacle to her, too. However, she found the elf and her lover first.

It was unfair, in her eyes. After all, while she had never truly loved Callum, Claudia was sure she could have grown to. Their fathers had been good friends, after all, and she herself had never fancied the crown. She had all the power she needed in her hands, anyway. But everything had been ruined the night Rayla and Callum met.

And for that, Claudia could never forgive the moonshadow elf in question.

It had been five years since the world settled into a peaceful quiet. And even in her final moments, Rayla didn’t scream. She fought. For herself, her husband, her family and everything she held dear. Being a moonshadow assassin, though, had meant that Rayla had long come to terms with her own death a long time ago. It wasn’t the ending she had hoped for but, nevertheless, she accepted defeat with the same grace and steely resolve she had lived most of her life with.

Callum, on the other hand, did not.

When he found Claudia, hair ash white and eyes inky black, all he saw was red. Having mastered the Sky Primal at fifteen, the magic flowed into him easily as he denied his former crush any oxygen. He watched her eyes return to their normal green, surprised at what Callum was doing to her. Claudia gasped, but found no trace of her former friend in the twenty year-old prince in front of her. He looked at her with more malice in his eyes than she ever knew existed, with more hatred than she ever thought possible, and with more desperation than even she had felt at the death of her father. She tried to speak, to explain herself, to save herself from his wrath---but found nothing in her lungs. The edges of her vision started to become darker, and Callum was the last thing she saw before she passed out.

Callum ran to Rayla’s side, pleading her to stay as she smiled up at the emerald-eyed mage holding her. The tears ran freely down his face now, but the elf in his arms would not let him use his magic. Desperate, he grabbed Claudia’s spellbook, her only constant companion after all those years, and flipped to the page he knew could help him. Rayla, with her last bit of strength, grabbed his hand and smiled up at her husband.

“I love you,” she said, just as the light in her eyes left them.

“No, no, no! Rayla!” Callum exclaimed, frantically searching for the ingredients he would need. A life source. His eyes flicked over to Claudia. Callum stood. He closed his eyes to steady himself but, as he did, he saw his mother’s smiling face. She turned to him and gave him a sad smile. He knew what it meant.

\---

It was not in Callum’s nature to fight. He had never needed to, before. Even though both his mother and aunt were natural-born fighters, the spark that ignited them was missing in Callum. That is, until he held the love of his life in his arms as she died. He was close to succumbing to dark forces to bring her back, but he fought.

Callum wasn’t born a fighter, but he was going to be one.

For Rayla.

**Author's Note:**

> the procrastination is strong in this one
> 
> so i'm going through my first ever college finals (yay) and instead of writing two essays, i decided to write three character studies for a fandom i've recently become obssessed with!  
> it's ok, i'm disappointed in me too !
> 
> anyway, enjoy the first one!
> 
> \---
> 
> also, before anyone asks me why this isn't Dark!Callum if it's a character study, this was just something quick i wanted to jot down after wondering what would push Callum over the edge to become a Dark Mage. personally, i don't think Rayla's death would affect him like that as he knows she would never want him to succumb to it, and especially not for her (yes, even though i used his mother; you'll see why when you finish reading). however, i do think that if Ezran were to die, he would definitely be pushed over the edge, distaste for dark magic or not. Ezran is the last living member of Callum's immediate family. he lost his birth father young (or maybe never even knew him), lost his mother before he could properly grasp what death was, and lost his father to war. i really would not want to see what Ezran's death would to Callum, were it to come down to that. especially since they'll have to become a whole lot closer after the events of the war.
> 
> well, anyway, this was supposed to be just a quick note and i've basically written a second part already here lol
> 
> \---
> 
> as always, thanks for reading, please leave a comment if you liked it, and i hope you're doing well !


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